𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐬

𝟎𝟒. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭

Hearing Aries' side of the story, not only gave Gemini much needed closure, but it also got her thinking. Maybe things really aren't what they are made out to be.

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Aries sighed and began his tale. "Ophiuchus and I were together long before I became a god. She supported me through the trials and looked after me when I got injured, espcially after being bitten by that nasty dragon."

Aries grimaced at the memory as Gemini and Taurus winced. Gemini had heard about what happened during Aries' second trial-he had been sent into a dragon's cave to retrieve the unconscious body of his mother. However, Aries had been badly bitten and burned by the dragon and barely passed that trial.

"And when I was crowned a god, she was ecstatic for me. I had worked so hard and I had finally fulfilled my life's dream. I could finally make some much needed changes for those living on the margins of society, to bring about some hope and inclusivity for them.

Through all that, Ophiuchus never left my side. Over time, I became increasingly convinced that maybe Ophiuchus had a chance of being a god. She was selfless and cared greatly for the needy. She used to volunteer down on Earth in various charities every other week. She would make a great goddess.

At first, she was unsure as being on the council meant a lot of responsibilities and she wouldn't have time to do the things she loved, such as volunteering. I eventually managed to convince her to join after many months.

I guess you can imagine how alarmed I was when Pisces told me that I would be the one mentoring Ophiuchus. The pressure was huge. If anything happened to Ophiuchus, the blame would be on me. I would never be able to get rid of the guilt as I was the one who convinced her to join. And that is exactly what happened.

Not many know this, but Ophiuchus fell ill during her third trial. She insisted on continuing them though and wore herself out during the next two trials. When it came to her fifth trial, she was exhausted and on the verge of collapsing. I tried to stop her from going into that arena, but she insisted.

And of course, she just had to be going up against Scorpio. Scorpio is... vicious and he never holds back, unless directed by Pisces. She's the only one he would listen to. I guess you already know what happened."

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Gemini wiped the sweat off her brow as she placed the large stack of books on the study table. Sitting down in the chair, she got to work.

Aries' story had brought to light how unprepared she actually was for the trials. Sure, she knew some basic history and brief overviews of the various trials that had happened before, but she felt like she needed to know more. Thus, she decided to go through Mercury's book collection.

She had picked out all the history books she could find before spending hours combing meticulously through them, gobbling up every bit of information she could find. And when she did find something, no matter how insignificant it may seem, she would scribble it down in her notepad.

There were various accounts of the same event, some conflicting, but that didn't hinder Gemini's search. Instead, she just picked out what she could learn from it and how to avoid making the same mistake.

After a long night, she had compiled an extensive list. She diligently read through them again, noting down common patterns and little signs that could lead to her downfall.

"Gemini? What are you doing? Please don't tell me you've been up all night?" Zadkiel freaked. She had entered the study to grab a cookbook, only to find her daughter buried in a book titled The History of Eden as she scribbled away on a notepad next to her.

Gemini straightened up and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Calm down, mum. I was just reading up on the failures and successes of the previous gods."

"The whole night?"

"Well..."

Zadkiel rained fury down on Gemini. "God, how stupid can you be, Gem? You need your rest! You can't just pull an all-nighter because you feel like this is more important than your sleep!"

"But this is extremely important!" Gemini protested. She didn't understand why her mother was so panicky just because she had pulled one all-nighter. She had done it before, but her mother had never freaked out this much. It couldn't be because of Ophiuchus...could it?

Before Zadkiel could say anything else, Aries appeared at the study door. His eyebrows were knitted together in a frown as he took in the unkempt hair and drowsy eyes.

"Let me take it from here," Aries told Zadkiel softly before he turned his stern gaze to Gemini. "Did you not learn anything from my story last night? Go to bed now and get as much sleep as you can. Your next trial starts this afternoon."

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This chapter is inspired by purpleskiesanddreams. Thank you so much for your wonderful idea!

What do you think of Gemini's idea to read up on the past? Do you think it will be useful for future trials?

What do you think of all-nighters? Do you agree that it has negative effects on one's health? Or do you think that it is necessary? Do you often pull all-nighters?